Limpopo will play in the Vodacom Cup as a separate side for the first time this year.

The region, which is a sub-union of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, has been granted a place in the tournament in its own rights to help foster rugby in South Africa’s far north. They join the 14 provincial unions as well as the returning Pampas XV from Argentina in the tournament, which kicks off in the second week of March and concludes in mid-May.

The Polokwane-based Limpopo team will play in the North Section of the competition, along with the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Griffons, Leopards, Pumas, Valke and Griquas, runners up in 2012. They are scheduled to play their mother body, the Blue Bulls, in Polokwane on Saturday, 20 April.

The South Section contains defending champions Western Province, as well as the Border Bulldogs, Boland Kavaliers, EP Kings, Free State XV, Sharks XV, South Western Districts and the Pampas XV.

Teams will each play seven group matches within their own section. Thereafter the top four teams from each section will progress to the quarter-final round, which will be contested across the two sections.